With storm and hurricane season upon us, you may be concerned about what would happen if lightning were to strike your metal roof. Lightning strikes are indeed unpredictable and can cause a lot of damage and safety risks, to be sure. So if your area is prone to lightning strikes, you know the threats those strikes bring.
You may assume that your metal roof will act as a beacon for lightning but this isn’t the case. Here is a look at how lighting impacts metal roofs in Marshfield.
Conductivity
Thanks to the science of conductivity, a metal roof is actually the safest material when it comes to withstanding lightning strikes. That’s because the metal gives the lightning a path to safely reach the ground instead.
Lightning strikes can damage roofs, home, and cars. But no proof exists that says having a metal roof will increase the chance of lightning hitting it. A recent study found that the materials used to construct roofs are actually not a big factor in determining where and how lightning will strike.
In a nutshell, the roofing material doesn’t influence the risk of a lightning strike, and the mere presence of metal roofing doesn’t statistically increase or decrease the chance that lightning will strike. Metal is a non-combustible material, and therefore is a more desirable construction option when you really think about it.
Principles of Lightning
Notmaterials
Lightning is described as the “flow of electrical current between earth and sky.” The flash, which is the brightest part of the strike, occurs when electrons from the earth rush to the sky via a path of ionization. Lightning doesn’t care about your metal roof. It only wants to connect negatively-charged electrons with the positively charged electrons from the earth as quickly as possible.
No one can predict exactly where lightning will strike. But topography is generally a better predictor of a lightning strike than building materials, so it’s more likely to strike tall objects and mountain tops. Lightning searches for the path of least resistance, meaning it will be drawn to anything that’s closest to the sky. That said, you could be more vulnerable to lightning strikes than if your home sits on a mountain top or edge of a cliff!
So to recap: metal roofs don’t attract lightning. In fact, they actually make lightning strikes much less dangerous.
If you are anxious about lightning hitting your metal roof, you can rest easy. Metal roofs are the ideal choice for homes or businesses located in areas of a higher lightning risk. Plus, they have a whole host of other benefits over other materials, such as durability, long lifespan and energy efficiency.
Contact Revered Roofing in the South Shore
If you’re interested in metal roof installation on the South Shore, consult with our experienced roofing contractors today. To get your free quote, Get Free Quote, contact us at 781-536-4589. Conveniently located in Hanson, MA building Eastern Massachusetts
South Shore and lower Cape quality metal roofing; standing seam, metal shingle and metal panel roofs in Hanson, Taunton, Marshfield, Quincy, Needham, Medfield, Milton, Halifax, Hanover, Falmouth and Plymouth.
Paul was easy going and a pleasure to deal with. No pressure. Crew got started late but the metal roof with new sky lights over our sun room was done in a day! Quality work. I recommend Revered Metal Roofing.